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Canton Man Charged With Theft Of Firearms And Dealing Firearms Without A License

Oct. 18, 2013

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced that a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging Renard Torrence, age 50, of Canton, Ohio, with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and with theft of firearms from federal firearms licensees.

Count 1 of the indictment charges that from in or about April 2013, to in or about August 2013, Torrence dealt in firearms without being a federally licensed firearms dealer.

Counts 2 through 12 of the indictment charges that Torrence stole firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees as listed below.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.

An indictment in only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.